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Bill Mays
William Allen Mays (born February 5, 1944), best known as Bill Mays, is an American jazz pianist from Sacramento, California. video:Pianist Bill Mays plays Bill Evans' "Waltz For Debby" He came from a musical family and at the age of 15 became interested in jazz at an Earl Hines concert. From 1969 to the early 1980s Mays worked as a studio session musician in Los Angeles. He has been an accompanist to singers Al Jarreau, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan and Dionne Warwick, and also worked with artists such as Mel Lewis, Shelly Manne, Bob Mintzer, Red Mitchell, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Bobby Shew, Sonny Stitt, Paul Winter, Phil Woods and Frank Zappa. In 1984, he moved to New York City and began to do more work as a bandleader, composer, and arranger. He has recorded over two dozen albums under his own name, and has been heard on hundreds more by others. Discography As leader *''A Musical Cocktail'', solo album, 1976 *''Explorations'' with Bud Shank, (Concord Concerto 1979) *''Night and Day'' with Peter Sprague, Jim Plank and Bob Magnusson, (Discovery Rec. 1980) *''Two of a Mind'' with Red Mitchell, (ITI Rec. 1982) *''Tha's Delights'', Bill Mays Quintet, with Shelly Manne, Andy Simpkins, Tom Harrell and Ralph Moore, (Discovery Rec. 1983) *''Kaleidoscope'', Bill Mays Quintet, with Jeff Hirshfield, Harvie Swartz, Peter Sprague and Dick Oatts, (Concord-Jazz Alliance 1989) *''One To One'' with Ray Drummond, (DMP Rec. 1989) *''One To One 2'' with Ray Drummond, (DMP Rec. 1990) *''Live at Maybeck Hall'', solo album, (Concord Rec. 1992) *''Bill Mays/Ed Bickert: Live At Maybeck Hall, (Concord Rec. 1994)'' *''An Ellington Affair'', Bill Mays Trio, with Lewis Nash and John Goldsby, (Concord Rec. 1994) *''Stridin’ In Five'', solo album, 1995 *''Mays In Manhattan'', Bill Mays Trio/Sextet, with Tim Horner, Sean Smith, Marvin Stamm, Jon Gordon and Ed Neumeister, (Concord Rec. 1996) *''Out In Pa., Bill Mays Trio, with Martin Wind and Matt Wilson, (No Blooze Music, 1999; reissued Palmetto Rec. 2010) *''By Ourselves with Marvin Stamm, (Marstam Rec. 1999) *''Summer Sketches'', Bill Mays Trio, with Martin Wind and Matt Wilson, (Palmetto Rec. 2000) *''Going Home'', Bill Mays Trio, with Martin Wind and Matt Wilson, (Palmetto Rec. 2002) *''Bick's Bag'' with Neil Swainson and Terry Clarke, (Triplet Rec. 2002) *''Live at Jazz Standard'', Bill Mays Trio, with Martin Wind and Matt Wilson, (Palmetto Rec. 2004) *''Fantasy'', Inventions Trio with Marvin Stamm and Alisa Horn, (Palmetto Rec. 2005) *''Delaware River Suite'', Inventions Trio with Marvin Stamm and Alisa Horn, (No Blooze Music, 2007) *''SOLO: Bill Mays'', solo piano DVD, (No Blooze Music, 2009) *''Mays At The Movies'', Bill Mays Trio, with Peter Washington and Billy Drummond (Steeplechase Rec. 2009) *''The Best Is Yet To Come'', Bill Mays Trio, with Joe La Barbera and Ryu Kawamura (Five Stars Rec. 2009) *''Stuffy Turkey'', Bill Mays Trio, with Joe La Barbera and Mattias Svensson (Five Stars Rec. 2010) *''Blue Rondo a la Turk'', Bill Mays and Keisuke Ohta (Five Stars Rec. 2010) *''Phil & Bill'', Phil Woods and Bill Mays (Palmetto Rec. 2011) As sideman With Lalo Schifrin *''Rollercoaster'' (soundtrack) (MCA, 1977) External links *Official website *Barnes and Noble artist bio *New England Jazz History Database - Worcester Radio Interview Category:Pianists